The perfect mix of visually beautiful details and personalized ones made Anna and James’ tented wedding reception at Historic Blenheim one to remember! They started the day at St. Philip Catholic Church in Falls Church, Virginia. The bride and bridesmaids spent the morning getting ready here. I grabbed some detail photos first thing upon arrival. I could have sat there arranging flat lays all day with all the details Anna had ready for me! We also hung Anna’s dress from a tree outside the church building. I loved how this helped incorporate the outdoors into this early part of the day.

Once Anna was dressed and ready to go, she requested a father-daughter first look. It was by far one of the most emotional wedding moments I’ve captured! Both of them were crying before he even saw her, and the tears were really flowing once he turned around and gave the most supportive happy face. It was especially beautiful to see him wiping her tears, trying not to smudge her makeup.

The ceremony was also beautifully emotional! I had joked with Anna about James looking ready to start tearing up when I visited him in the sacristy before the ceremony. Despite doing his best to be stoic, James definitely let his emotion show a few times throughout the ceremony. And it was so heartwarming! My favorite moment was during their vows, when he scrunched up his face trying to keep it together. After the ceremony, the pair had a saber arch exit. It was my first time photographing a saber arch and it was very fun!

After the Catholic wedding, we celebrated with a tented wedding reception at Historic Blenheim. I photographed another wedding at Historic Blenheim a couple of years ago for Kayla and Isaac, but they had a smaller celebration with the entire gathering hosted inside the visitor’s center. For Anna and James’ day, the celebration was primarily under a tent on the lawn. However, we did move the party inside for all of the dancing in the evening! The versatility of this venue along with its charming historic views and convenient location makes it one of the best wedding venues in Northern Virginia.

Anna and James share a love of wine, and James’ proposal happened at a winery. So the pair chose to share a special bottle of wine from that winery during their portrait time. It was a fun chance for them to savor the moment – pun intended! – just the two of them in the middle of the busy wedding day. They also had special bottles of wine brought to the head table exclusively so they could enjoy their favorite wines on their wedding day.

One special touch that Anna and James added to their tented wedding reception at Historic Blenheim is that they wrote personalized thank you cards for each guest. This trend has been making its rounds in weddings lately and I love it! It was so special to see guests getting emotional as they read their note from the bride and groom when they sat down at their table.

While Anna and James enjoyed their dance floor, I took a little break from photographing the crowd and snuck out to the tent with Anna and James’ rings. I had a chance to take “late night flat lays,” a new trend that I’ve been dying to try, and it turned out so cute! My favorite of the flat lays features one guest’s abandoned tie and sunglasses, a bottle of wine (fitting for the couple), an empty can, and a slice of cake with their rings peeking out from within. It was so fun to get creative, and guests had fun watching me build the scene!

Finally, at the end of the night, Anna and James shared a private last dance before their big exit. They chose to do a ribbon exit. Guests waved ribbons with strings of lights to light the way for Anna and James to go back to their car to end their incredible day!

Wedding Coordinator: Liz and Blair with The Coordinated Collective

HMUA: Best Face Forward

Bridal Boutique: St. Anthony’s Bridal

Invitation Suite: Minted

Florist: Blooms Reston

Ceremony Venue: St. Philip Catholic Church

Reception Venue: Historic Blenheim Interpretive Center

Catering: Rocklands

DJ: Toussaint Productions

Bakery: Classic Bakery